Luminous sign and number



A. F. AND R. A. WIRSCHING.

LUMINOUS SIGN'AND NUMBER.

APPLICATION FIILED JULY 2 1920.

1,407,345, Patented Feb-21, 1922 INVENTORS Aususr F. Wmscu/Ns lioszfir AM/mscnuve STATE ATNT Fl.

AUGUST F. WIRSCHING AND ROBERT A. WIRSCHING, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LUMINOUS SIGN AND NUMBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUST F. WIRSCH- 'ING and ROBERT A. WIRSCHING, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the countyof Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Luminous Signs and Numbers, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates to luminous signs and has for its object the provision of luminous sign units of novel construction and which may be readily assembled and attached to a support to form a sign.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which F igure 1 is a front elevation of sign units constructed in accordance with the invention, said units being shown as numbers.

Fig. 2 i a similar view of sign units comprising letters.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the units taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have shown sign units consisting of letters and numbers, but it will be obvious that other units may be constructed of any desired conformation.

The principles involved in the construction of each of the units consist of the provision of a transparent plate having a flat edge flange arranged to form a base by which the unit is supported upon a suitable mounting, and a central portion of the plate consisting of angularly disposed surfaces projecting outwardly from the edge flange portion with a luminous material upon the undersides of said angularly disposed surfaces' Referring to the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the various letters or figures forming the sign units may each be formed of a glass plate consisting of angularly disposed surfaces 1 having their meeting ridge 2, preferably, flattened and extending longitudinally of the figure or letter. The ends of the angularly disposed surfaces 1, preferably, terminate in outwardly diverging angularly disposed surface 4.

The diverging edges of surfaces 1 and 4 terminate in an outwardly extending surface 3 arranged around the edge of surfaces 1 and 4. This edge surface is arranged as a flat surface Which may rest against a suitable mounting. upon which the sign units are supported.

By thi construction it will be seen that the underside of a unit presents a recess 5 closed at its side and ends and extending longitudinally of the sign unit. The surfaces 1 and 4 inclosing this recess are angularly disposed relative to one another so that light passing through the same will be projected in transverse directions from the sign unit and also longitudinally beyond the same. A portion of said light will also be projected straight outwardly throu h the flattened surface 2 which extends ongitudinally of the sign unit. The sign unit may be made luminous for projecting the light from the same by coating the undersides of the surfaces 1 and 4 with any suitable luminous coating 6 which may be paint or the like.

In practice it will be understood that the units are assembled upon a suitable mounting and the flat surfaces 3 secured to said mounting in any suitable manner as by cementing. The light from the luminous material 6 will then be projected through the transparent material forming the sign units to provide a luminous sign. It will be obvious that the transparent material forming the sign units may be colored or stained as desired.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a luminous sign character comprising a body conforming to the contour of said sign character composed of glass in which is formed a channel that is substantially V-shaped in cross section, portions of said body to the sides of said channel being extended outwardly to form flat-faced marginal flanges and the angular faces within the ii-shaped channel being. coated with luminous substance.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a luminous sign character comprisin a body conforming to the contour of said sign character composed of glass in which is formed a recess that is substantially V-shaped in cross section and the ends of said recess being provided with inclined faces, the inclined faces at the sides and ends of said recess being coated with luminous substance, and the portions of the body of the character to the sides and ends of the recess therein being extended to form marginal flanges having smooth flat front faces that are adapted to contact With a flat surface to Which the character is applied.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

AUGUST F. WIRSCHING. ROBERT A. WIRSCHING. 

